Week of 7/2/12

Written by Press Staff Writer

June 28, 2012

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Never too oldTo the editor: One is never too old to experience something new. When Elmore had their Community Garage Sales this past weekend, we took part with our granddaughter and her family, having it at our home. We really are not garage sale people and have never had one, but it turned out to be a wonderful experience. Everyone who stopped by was so nice and friendly that we ended up having a great time, and we did very well.

The hosts for the garage sales, the Elmore Chamber of Commerce and the Portage River Festival Committee, had great weather for their activities. The fireworks display on Saturday evening was spectacular and were enjoyed by so many people of all ages.

A great big thank you goes out to all the volunteers who worked hard putting the events together, to the people taking part in the various events, and to all the people who attended making the weekend a success.Tom and Betty MillerElmore

The Dark AgesTo the editor: This year, Maine and Michigan both changed their state laws to allow citizens to use the full line of consumer fireworks to celebrate the freedoms we cherish in America. In 2011, Kentucky changed its fireworks law to allow all consumer fireworks, and Utah relaxed its laws to allow aerial repeaters.

Other states currently involved in efforts to change the types of consumer fireworks citizens will be permitted to use include West Virginia, Minnesota and Puerto Rico. What about Ohio?

This movement in the United States to relax the consumer fireworks laws is driven by the fact that the products are safer, with related injuries being fewer, the economics of states losing revenue and taxes to neighboring states and the overwhelming desire of Americans to celebrate the Independence Day holiday with fireworks as envisioned by President John Adams on July 3, 1776, when the future U.S. President opined in a now-famous letter to his wife Abigail that Independence Day.

“ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade…bonfires and illuminations (fireworks) from one end of this continent to the other, from this day forward forevermore.”

The legislators in Ohio have the ability to dispatch the liars’ form and take Ohioans out of the shadows of illegality and reshape the consumer fireworks laws in Ohio. This is overdue.

The time has come to re-evaluate the anti-consumer fireworks laws in Ohio. Fireworks have never been safer and their use continues to increase each year. This alone provides a strong case for the regulated and sensible use of all consumer fireworks.

In 1994, America imported 117 million pounds of fireworks and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 12,500 fireworks-related injuries in the U.S. By 2010, our fireworks imports grew over 75 percent to 205.9 million pounds, but the number of fireworks-related injuries dropped by over 31 percent to 8,600. This is phenomenal progress in safety for the fireworks industry.

It is indeed unfortunate that illegal explosives, unlicensed and unregulated devices seem to materialize each year in response to consumer demand. These illegal and dangerous devices can be virtually eliminated by making legal, regulated consumer fireworks available to the public.

Now is the time to write or email your legislator and ask for support to legalize consumer fireworks in Ohio. With full legalization in Kentucky, Maine and Michigan, there are now only four states in the entire country that outlaw all types of consumer fireworks. Take Ohio out of the consumer fireworks dark ages and into the 21st century.

Life’s not always fairTo the editor: In the past few years, I have learned many life lessons and at 45 years old, you would think most of my lessons would have been known. Not yet, it seems.

I have learned that things are not always as they seem. For example, in the last 10 years or so, my husband and I have spent our life with our three children at multiple sporting events, mostly baseball and football. They have all experienced what it is like to be a winner and also have suffered a defeat. They have all had to learn that things are not fair, even when you are doing the right thing. It’s that simple. Life’s not always fair. I used to spend lots of time thinking how we could help our children improve their game, help their team, be the best they could be. What I decided is they can only be who they were made to be and that should always be enough.

We are very proud of all three of our children who are each successful in their own way. We have been so very blessed with them and have tried to teach them to be good men – not just good athletes and students, but good men who can win at life, not just a game. Life is hard and they are all experiencing just that, but as we stand beside them, guiding them, it is important that they go ahead on their own.

I challenge parents in and around our communities to step up and teach our children how not to be just good athletes and students, but good people who stand for what is right – not always taking the spotlight but realizing that they are part of a bigger picture – life.

It’s time to let our children make mistakes and learn from them, for we as parents are not always going to be there to make it all better. Life is not always fair and the sooner they learn how to deal with it, the better human beings they will be.Dennis and Tonia AdkinsClay Center

DictatorshipTo the editor: I would like to reply to Bryan Frohlich’s letter. He claims Right to Work states don’t lower wages. This is more deception to destroy living standards in the U.S. His first claim was Right to Work States employment grew 25.9 percent versus 7.9 percent in non-Right to Work states. This is because companies want to pay a lot lower wages. This is why they had global free trade laws passed and took millions of jobs overseas and for the manufacturing they couldn’t take overseas, they went to Southern Right to Work states.

It is also why manufacturing grew 84 percent to 19.4 percent in Right to Work states. Manufacturing wages grew more in the South because all the good jobs went there that didn’t move overseas so wages grew more in an area with traditional low Right to Work wages.

Mr. Frolich says Right to Work laws are Democratic because they let you decide whether to join a union. All it does is give the companies a choice to hire all non-union workers and fire those who want a union. This is not Democracy but a dictatorship.Al KapustarOregon

Support appreciatedTo the editor: The Tiki Warriors Relay For Life team from the Genoa Area would like to thank all of the area businesses and individuals who supported our team’s fundraising efforts this Relay season.

The amount our team raised for the 2012 American Cancer Society Relay For Life stands at $6,744.37. Thank you so much for all you do to help in the fight against cancer.

If there is someone out there who may be interested in joining the Relay For Life, we are currently looking to add new team members to our roster for next year’s Relay. If you think you may be interested, please call 419-855-4370 and ask for Kim or Tami.

Thank you again to the entire community for the support.Kim and Tami CoppesTeam Captains, Tiki Warriors Relay For Life Team